bumface

Hello All

Seriously chuffed with my vRS. I was reading the manual (it's useless) to the Fab the other week.
I read that the engine will run on vegetable oil!
Has anybody dared to do this? And If they have did anyone notice any difference.
I would like to try this myself but with the car being eight weeks old I am a bit wary!

Thank you for any help or advice

Bumface

fletch555

Did you read that the car will run on vegetable oil in the manual? (what page, I've never seen it)

TeflonTom

it wont hurt much, but the pd engines run like **** on vege, also you will need to change your fuel filter more often

P-A

I'd imagine you also need to be careful you don't screw up the fuel injection system.

TeflonTom

a diesel engine will run on any oil as long as it's filtered properly, it will even run in engine oil!

cheezemonkhai

Icluding crude from wytch farm

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TeflonTom

so that's why you're having fuel economy problems eh??

stuart_hatch

Im running my fabia on a 40% veg oil mix, its great, even quiteter too

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Octygone

Lots of details here

Vegetable Oil as Vehicle Fuel ...not sure about PD engines though I am sure Ross said a max of xx%

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thirty3

Stuart so thats 40% sunflower/rapeseed and 60% diesel..???

Does the PD130 need no preheat of the oil to save the pump or anything..??? Does it not just seperate out in the diesel tank.....so you end up running on one or the other only if you see what I mean....lol Or is the pd130 just a workhorse

TeflonTom

the pd series engines dont have an injection pump. and the fuel gets pretty well mixed up by the movement of the car, and the fact that it's constantly being circulated by the fuel pump in the tank

fireman

try it on red diesel for a laugh....that totally destoyed my fuel injection system

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Awww its guna end in tears

TeflonTom

red diesel is the same as derv but it has a red dye in it!

the thing to try for extra performance is high-cetane marine diesel....

fireman

it is but it usally a lower grade by default. Try it i dare you

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Awww its guna end in tears

NeilS

I've been running my vRS on approx 10% biodiesel (essentially recycled vegetable oil and a few additives as I understand it) from 3,000 miles for the last 20,000 miles and it runs fine. I checked the manual and it said OK up to 30% biodiesel (to EN standards) and then rang Skoda Customer Services who said 5% is their recommendation. Other websites have stories of the PD engines running fine on 100% biodiesel but I haven't the nerve to try it with 18 months warranty still remaining.

stuart_hatch

Yep, i just pop into asda/tesco get 4 or 5 3 litre vegtable oil bottles at 1.60 ish each pop over to the petrol station, stick the veggy oil in the tank then fill the rest with diesel

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Decron

You really don't want to do this very often. It will kill your fuel filter by causing the paper substrate to expand. WVO used in Bio is chemically different to normal Veg oil due to the fact he oil has already been through a heating process and it burns hotter and cleaner than Veg.

I run Bio at a 40% mix in the summer but for the colder weather I am down to 25%. I have to change my filter roughly every 10k. The Vrs will run fine on it, in fact I saw a 8 bhp increase in using it and I have now used it for the last 25K, getting a drum delivered to my house every 2-3 months. It can be a bit messy but it has more pro's than cons. In 15 years time we will all be using it.

bryand

I'm running mine on 10% RME Biodiesel for 40K miles and it's happier with it than without (others comment on the quietness and smoothness of the engine). Wouldn't go anywhere near straight vegetable oil, though - too much glycerine and injectors too expensive.
Mine is an '04 vRS, and the manual doesn't stipulate any maximum proportion of biodiesel i.e. it could run on 100% Bio (the Euro IV engines are different). However, Decron's 40% is the highest any Briskodan has gone AFAIK.

stuart_hatch

OKdoke, so where do i get this bio stuff from :S

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bryand

Scotland doesn't look to be particularly well served, but this list gives some outlets.
Failing that, you could always try producing some yourself . (I get mine from Pure Biodiesel in Stroud, but I guess Gloucestershire is too far for you)

tippo1983

so how much cheaper is this bio fuel then?

P-A

I assume you know that this is also illegal (It is illegal to run your car on any fuel substitute without having first paid the duty)?

bryand

It isn't, necessarily. Pre-blended biodiesel like the 5% blend that Rix's pumps deliver is within a penny or so a litre of regular diesel.
Prices for 100% bio which you blend yourself vary between outlets and how much you buy. Anything from 90p to £1.42 a litre (so it pays to shop around).

tippo1983

i dont see the point in using bio fuel if it costs excatly the same?????

Decron

Roughly half the emmisions, slightly better economy in some cases, slightly more power, the satisfaction that you are re using a waste product and the even bigger satisfaction that you are only giving 27p a litre to Gordon.

How many more reasons do you want?